Cultural Genocide in Palestine: A Resource List

by the Liberatory Archives and Memory team at Whose Knowledge?

Three arms reach up in resistance in the colours of the Palestine flag.

How has the deliberate erasure of Palestinian cultural and historical heritage been utilized as a strategic war tactic, and what are the long-term impacts on the knowledge(s), identity and memory of Palestinian communities? 

Statistics

Reports

  • Israeli Damage to Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Gaza, October 2023–January 2024 (Published by Librarians and Archivists with Palestine on February 2024)

The report outlines the catastrophic damage inflicted on Gaza’s cultural heritage from October 2023 to January 2024, detailing the destruction of archives, libraries, and museums by Israeli forces. It emphasizes the loss of invaluable historical records, books, and artifacts, alongside martyred information workers, underscoring a broader strategy of erasing Palestinian culture and history. Recognised as war crimes, these acts further impede Palestinian self-determination, demonstrating a systematic assault on their collective identity and heritage.

Read the report here, and The Librarians and Archivists with Palestine full resource list on Palestinian and Libraries Archives.

  • Report on the Impact of the Recent War in 2023 on the Cultural Heritage in Gaza Strip (Published by Arab Network of Civil Society Organizations for Cultural Heritage Protection on November 7, 2023)

The report details the impact of the 2023 conflict on Gaza’s cultural heritage, highlighting the destruction of historical and religious sites critical to Palestinian identity. With over 10,000 casualties in its first month, a third being children, and widespread displacement, the siege exacerbates the loss, underscoring the dire humanitarian crisis. The report provides historical background about Gaza, and catalogues damaged or destroyed sites, including material culture, mosques, churches, and archaeological landmarks, illustrating a profound cultural and historical loss amid the ongoing violence. The report also categorizes architectural heritage, including mosques, churches, palaces, and schools, while providing detailed blueprints of significant archaeological and heritage sites in the Gaza Strip. It also outlines the types of attacks on these sites, whether through direct or indirect shelling.

Read the report here.

  • Cultural Apartheid: Israel’s Erasure of Palestinian Heritage in Gaza (Published by Al-Haq on February 22, 2024)

This publication leverages a study by Forensic Architecture, a research group in London, employing open-source methods to map out crucial archaeological sites in Gaza under occupation. It outlines how Israel’s deliberate destruction and disregard for Palestinian cultural heritage in Gaza serves a wider agenda of obliterating Palestinian identity and history. It highlights Israel’s bombings of cultural sites, the blockade’s impact on archaeological work, and the significance of cultural heritage to Palestinian identity and rights under international law.

Read the report here.

The Second Preliminary Report on the Cultural Sector Damage documents the extensive destruction of Gaza’s cultural heritage due to Israeli bombardment from October 7 to December 6, 2023. It details the obliteration of historical buildings, mosques, churches, cultural institutions, and museums, alongside the deaths and injuries of numerous artists, intellectuals, and cultural workers. The report emphasizes the significant cultural and psychological loss, portraying the Israeli actions as an attempt to erase Palestinian identity and heritage. It underscores the resilience of the Palestinian people amid the severe cultural genocide and ongoing aggression. This is also the only report with documentation of martyred women.

Read the report here.

News articles

  • When Protectors Become Perpetrators: The Complexity of State Destruction of Cultural Heritage (April 24, 2024)

The article discusses how states like Israel and Russia have damaged cultural heritage sites in Gaza and Ukraine, respectively. This destruction is often intentional, aimed at erasing cultural identities and rewriting history for power. The article explores historical and contemporary examples, highlighting the impact on local cultures and identities. It emphasizes the need for international law and cooperation to protect cultural heritage and ensure accountability for such actions.

Read it here

  • Gaza Strip: Damage assessment (Published 10 April, 2024)

UNESCO is conducting a preliminary damage assessment for cultural properties through remote monitoring based on satellite imagery and analysis provided by UNITAR/UNOSAT (United Nations Satellite Centre), as on-the-ground assessments are impossible in the current situation.

Read it here

  • UNESCO verifies damage to 43 cultural heritage sites in Gaza (Published 23 April 2024)

UNESCO has confirmed damage to 43 cultural heritage sites in Gaza due to the ongoing conflict that began on October 7, 2023. This includes 10 religious sites, 24 buildings of historical or artistic interest, two repositories of movable cultural property, three monuments, one museum, and three archaeological sites. These findings are based on satellite imagery and remote monitoring. UNESCO has urged all parties to adhere to international law and protect cultural heritage, stressing its civilian nature.

Read it here.

On Archives

  • Essay: The People of the Archive: On the Oral History Tradition of Palestine

“… the significance of oral history not only as a question of preservation of previously untold stories, but as an active engagement with the past from the present.”

This essay provides a portrayal of Al Jana centre and oral history archives such as Palestinian Oral History Archive and the Nakba Archive. The author explores the invisibility of archival work and the people behind the production of oral histories gathered from Palestinians living in Lebanon. The article includes audio snippets from interviews with Moataz Dajan (Palestinian artist from Jerusalem and co-founder of al-Jana), Kaoukab Chebaro (librarian at Columbia University and previously the head of the Archives and Special Collections Department at the American University of Beirut (AUB), and Mahmoud Zeidan (co-founder of the Nakba Archive with Diana Allen).

Read it here

  • Conversation: Against Genocide: Mapping the Future of Palestine, One Archive at a Time

“We lost every record of the Palestine government, we lost certificates of birth and death, school certificates, medical certificates, banks, records of harbors and ports, records of ownership of land, we lost every single trace, to unite our geography and history” – Dr Salman Abu Sitta

Ghada Dimashk, the Palestine Land Studies Society (PLSC) coordinator, librarian and archivist in conversation with Palestinian scholar and historian, Dr. Salman Abu Sitta, founder and President of  PLSC . The conversation is about the preservation of Palestinian lands through collecting the land’s maps and reconstructing the memory of the villages through architecture and archival efforts. Check out the Atlas of Palestine, 1871-1877

The conversation was hosted by Dr. Jamila Ghaddar and Tam Rayan, in defense of Palestinian life, heritage and land at the Middle East Librarians Association. The talk included a Call to Action (A Call to Archive Against Genocide: Archivists and Memory Workers in Solidarity with Palestine and Palestinian Colleagues) issued on June 4, 2024, by members of the “A Documentary Nakba: A Reading Group for Archival Liberation In & Beyond Palestine

Listen to the talk here, and read the full resource here.

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